36. Liana
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
LIANA
Commotion erupted somewhere beyond the closed door of my home office, followed by a muffled curse, then a raised voice that was unmistakably male.
I lifted my head from the computer screen, my fingers still resting on the keyboard.
Another voice answered, calmer but no less irritated and I recognized it. It was my husband’s.
The shouting grew louder, footsteps crossing the hallway, and I suspected they were coming my way.
I pushed my chair back just as the office door swung open.
Raphael Santos stood in the doorway, looking furious.
My husband Giovani stood behind him, looking less concerned, but annoyed. There wasn’t much in this world that frazzled Giovanni. Men who thought they could intimidate him certainly didn’t rank high on the list.
“Sorry, my love,” Giovanni said, gesturing toward Raphael with one hand. “The man is annoying and persistent.”
The corners of my mouth twitched. “Much like you.”
Giovanni’s mouth curved into that infuriatingly charming smile of his. It was probably the reason he swept me off my feet all those years ago. And even now, my heart still skipped a beat.
Time had changed us. We had buried people we loved, survived things I still didn’t like to remember, built a life together, and somehow, we endured it all.
I couldn’t quite believe I’d gotten so lucky with him. I didn’t deserve him. I’d thought that more times than I could count.
But I was keeping him.
Raphael cleared his throat, and I slowly turned my attention to him. Whatever gentle emotions had been lingering in my chest disappeared.
My son’s father-in-law stood rigidly in the doorway, shoulders squared, his cold eyes fixed on me.
“Raphael,” I greeted him.
“Liana.” His voice was clipped. “Where the fuck is your son?”
“None of your fucking business,” I said coldly.
“We need to talk privately.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Damn men and their thinking process. They always thought if they talked privately to me, they could change my mind. Newsflash, they couldn’t.
“Fine, talk.”
Giovanni glanced between us. “Want me to stay?”
I looked at my husband, his gaze filled with support and love. When we got married, he promised he’d always be by my side and he never broke that promise. I loved him even more for it.
“Give us a minute alone, I can handle him.”
Raphael snickered and instantly, Giovanni’s expression hardened.
“It’s okay, Giovanni,” I assured my husband.
“Liana—”
“I’ll be fine.”
He held my gaze for a moment longer, then nodded.
“Five minutes.” Raphael scoffed. Giovanni pointed at him. “Don’t make it four.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I loved my man so much. He blew me a kiss, then said, “I’ll be right outside.”
Then he walked away, shutting the door behind him.
I turned back toward my computer and saved the document I’d been working on before closing the laptop, then sat down.
“Okay, Raphael, you got my attention.” I gestured toward the chair opposite my desk for him to sit. “Talk.”
He took a seat, then crossed his legs, letting the silence between us stretched.
It was his intimidation tactic, but I had survived far worse men in far worse places.
“Time is ticking,” I reminded him. “Either tell me what you want or get out. I have work to do.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re playing games.”
“Hardly.” I leaned back in my chair. “I’ve never been much for games and have no patience for it.”
His jaw flexed.
“You seem to have forgotten who you’re dealing with,” he said.
I almost laughed.
“Your son fucked up and he has to pay.”
My stomach twisted, but I refused to let it show. “From what I understand, Jetmir and Anya have some unfinished business.”
“So you’ve been communicating with him?” I didn’t answer. It was none of his business. Besides, regardless if Jetmir was right or wrong, I would always have his back. “I don’t think you understand the gravity of his and your position.”
“I understand it perfectly.”
He leaned in. “Do you?”
“Are you trying to threaten me?”
“I’m warning you.”
“No.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “You’re trying to frighten me.”
His expression hardened. “You should be frightened. Your son even more so.”
I folded my arms. “Raphael, you need to understand something about me.”
“I understand enough.”
“No. You understand that I’m stubborn. That I’m dangerous.
That I’m difficult to control.” I swallowed, feeling the old memories stir beneath my skin, but I promptly shut them down.
“Your wife survived torture by Santiago Tijuana for less than a week. I survived torture by my first husband for much, much longer.” He said nothing, but something shifted in his expression.
“And before him, I survived my mother. So don’t threaten me like you’re the first person who has ever tried to make me afraid. ”
Raphael's eyes narrowed.
“You think surviving makes you untouchable?”
“No, but it makes me dangerous. Don’t ever fucking threaten my son.”
“Your son is dead. He kidnapped my daughter."
Something cold moved through me, but I kept it at bay. “My son reunited with his wife. This is your last warning, Santos. Don’t. Fucking. Threaten. Jetmir.”
His expression darkened. “Where is he?”
I pointed toward the door.
“You might as well leave, because even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.” I suspected his location, but I would rather lie than share it. “So you can take your threats and shove them somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“You’re very brave.”
“No. I’m tired.” I looked away for a moment, breathing through the ache in my chest. “I’m tired of men like you, and I’m sure that your wife is too.”
“Leave my wife out of this.”
I almost smiled. Sailor was Raphael’s weakness.
“Sailor and I have more in common than you think.”
He looked at me like I had lost my mind.
“We both survived things. We survived them in different ways. But we both learned how to live inside circumstances we didn’t choose.”
His mouth tightened.
“Don’t pretend you know what my wife thinks.”
“I don’t.” I softened despite myself. “But I think she would understand.”
“Understand what?”
“That sometimes survival looks ugly.” I looked down at my hands. “My mother started this mess, and even my own children paid for it. Anya had the luxury of being protected from the moment she was born. My children didn’t.”
Raphael’s expression changed slightly. “I can’t do anything about it. Anya is my concern.”
“And Jetmir is mine. He loves your daughter.”
“She doesn’t love him back.”
I met his eyes. “Did she tell you that?”
He stared at me for a long moment before he gritted a single word. “Maybe.”
“You never even asked her, did you?” I let out a sardonic breath. “I don’t know where they are, Raphael, and I wouldn’t help you if I did. But I’ll tell you this…” I held his gaze. “Hurt my son and you’ll feel my wrath.”
Raphael held my gaze. “Ditto.”
Jetmir would never hurt Anya. He loved her more than was healthy, and for the past three years, I hurt right alongside him. I wanted him to be happy and I knew that only his wife would bring him peace, love and happiness.
“Let the children work it out themselves. They might be our babies, but they’re adults.”
Raphael didn’t reply, although judging by his expression, his mind wasn’t swayed at all.